A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF HAROLD GEORGE NEPIA (TONY) SKELTON PREPARED BY HELENE CONNOR AND CARABELLE TANGIORA CONNOR
HAROLD GEORGE NEPIA SKELTON, 1915, AGED 19
May 2010, Auckland
Time Line1 of Army Service for Harold George Nepia Skelton DATE 14 June 1915
EVENT
18 September 1915
Harold George Nepia (together with his brother George Daniel) enlists Military training possibly at Avondale Camp Auckland which was based at the Avondale racecourse. Avondale Camp was selected by the Defence Department for the base where Maori were trained, (Carkeek, 2003, p. 9).. Departs from Wellington aboard the troop ship Waitemata
26 October 1915
Disembarks at Suez, Egypt
20 February 1916
1 January 1917
The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion was formed as a unit of the New Zealand Division which was formed in Egypt after the evacuation of New Zealanders from Gallipoli in December 1915. It was made up of the men of the original Maori Contingent, the 2nd and 3rd Maori Contingents, and men of the Otago Mounted Rifles. The Otagos thus became the Pakeha half of the Pioneers, (Pugsley, 1995, p. 45). The Pioneers reached Marseilles after a long and uncomfortable journey (Pugsley, 1995, p. 50). The Pioneers were the first unit of the New Zealand Division to move to the Somme battlefield that had been fought over since 1 July, (Pugsley, 1995, p. 55). Rejoined unit from hospital
25 May 1917
Rejoined unit from hospital
7 June 1917
4 August 1917
The Pioneers were tasked with linking the newly captured Messines Ridge to the existing front lines by digging communications trenches as they had done on the Somme, (Pugsley, 1995, p. 61). The Pioneers, along with the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade, were attached to the First French Army to assist in digging in positions and telephone cable for the French artillery brigades, (Pugsley, 1995, p. 64). Wounded in action
8 August 1917
Died of wounds
July, August 1915
9 April 1916 August 1916
July 1917
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Information for the time line has been gathered from the military records for Harold George Nepia Skelton and several texts.
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Introduction This is the story of my Great Grand Uncle, Harold George Nepia Skelton, (also known as Tony). He was the oldest brother of my Great Grandfather, Leslie Robert Skelton (known as Mick to his friends and Poppa to his mokupuna). Harold George Nepia Skelton enlisted in the Army on 14 June 1915 and departed from Wellington, New Zealand on 18 September 1915 on board the troop ship, the Waitemata, disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 26 October 1915. Harold George Nepia Skelton’s Regiment was the New Zealand Maori Pioneer Battalion and he was one of 300 Maori reinforcements of the Second Maori contingent. He was 19 years of age, (although his military personnel records state he was 21 years), when he set off to join the war effort of World War I (1914-1918), also known as the Great War.
His
younger brother, George Daniel Skelton (26.7.1897 to 8. 6. 1980) also joined the Maori Pioneer Battalion and the two brothers set off to war together, but only George returned. George settled down and married Mary Stella Woods (May) and had one sons, Terence George (known as Terry). George died at age 82. The Pioneers were not fighting units but a military labour force trained and organized to work on engineering tasks, digging trenches, building roads, railways and any other logistical task deemed necessary. This was essential and dangerous work that was often carried out under fire. Harold George Nepia carried out this dangerous work for two years in appalling conditions and was eventually seriously injured. He died of his wounds on 8 August 1917 in Northern France. He was only 21 years old. He is buried at the Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord, France, Plot 1, Row W, Grave 33. There are also memorials for him at the Motunui Community Hall and the Bell Block Cemetery in Taranaki. He is listed on the New Zealand Maori Pioneer Battalion
Roll
of
Honour,
(France and Flanders), 19161918 which has 253 records of Maori soldiers who died in WWI. Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck where Harold George Nepia Skelton is buried 3
My mother’s cousin Peter Skelton who lives in France and is the General Manager of Quiksilver, France, a European surf and leisure brand, has visited the cemetery. He was able to find the plot where Great Grand Uncle Harold George Nepia Skelton is buried.
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Harold George Nepia Skelton is also listed on the Bell Block War Memorial. (http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/taranaki_war_memorials/topics/show /30-bell-block-war-memorial) The Bell Block War Memorial consists of a female figure and garden in the central shopping area. It is one of the most prominent memorials in the Taranaki region. The monument honours the men who gave their lives in each of the World Wars as well as honouring those who served on RNZAF station Bell Block during the second World War. The Inscription reads:
In Remembrance of the men from Bell Block Hillsborough and Taururutangi Districts who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918 in the cause of Liberty Justice and Humanity Harold George Nepia Skelton is listed under Taururutangi and Hillsborough as Sgt H G N Skelton.
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Military Records for Sergeant Harold George Nepia Skelton Reference: http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/14501.detail
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Record Detail Full Name: Private Harold George Nepia Skelton Rank Last Held: Private Forename(s): Harold George Nepia Surname: Skelton War: World War I, 1914-1918 Serial No.: 16/869 First Known Rank: Private Next of Kin: Mrs Augusta Rahera (sister), Smart Road, Fitzroy, New Plymouth, New Zealand Marital Status: Single Enlistment Bell Block, New Plymouth, New Address: Zealand Military District: Wellington Body on 2nd Maori Contingent Embarkation: Embarkation Date: 18 September 1915 Place of Wellington, New Zealand Embarkation: Transport: HMNZT 29 Vessel: Waitemata Destination: Suez, Egypt Page on Nominal 667 Roll: Last Unit Served: Pioneer Battalion Place of Death: Belgium Date of Death: 8 August 1917 Year of Death: 1917 Cause of Death: Died of wounds Description of Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1917 Image: Further References: Search http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz for information about this person's Military Personnel File. Use the Simple Search option. Sources Used: Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume I. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1914-1919
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Military Records for George Daniel Skelton Reference: http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/14501.detail Auckland Museum Cenotaph Record Detail Full Name: Forename(s): Surname: War: Serial No.: First Known Rank: Next of Kin: Marital Status: Enlistment Address: Military District: Body on Embarkation: Embarkation Date: Place of Embarkation: Transport: Vessel: Destination: Page on Nominal Roll: Sources Used:
George Daniel Skelton George Daniel Skelton World War I, 1914-1918 16/838 Private George Nepia (father), Motonui, Waihi, New Zealand Single New Plymouth, New Zealand Wellington 2nd Maori Contingent 18 September 1915 Wellington, New Zealand HMNZT 29 Waitemata Suez, Egypt 667 Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume I. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1914-1919
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Wellington farewells the Second Maori Contingent, September 1915, Harold George Nepia Skelton’s Regiment. (Photo from the Auckland Weekly News, cited in Pugsley (1995, p. 47).
The Waitemata (the troop ship that took Harold (Tony) & George to Suez) (5432 gross tons. Lb: 415 x 54 feet. Cargo steamship built by William Hamilton & Co, Glen Yard Port Glasgow, for Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd. Single screw, triple expansion engine)
On 14 July 1918 the Waitemata was torpedoed and sunk by submarine UB105 when 100 miles E by N of Marsa Susa (33.21N/24.10E) on passage from Barry to Alexandria with coal and calcium carbide. www.flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm#29
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Maori and the First World War On 1 September 1914, the Prime Minister, William Ferguson Massey (1856–1925) told the House of Representatives in Wellington: “There has always been a sort of understanding that coloured races were not to be employed in any European war. We have to remember that, so far as the Maoris are concerned, they are free citizens of the Empire – they are supposed to share with us all the privileges and benefits of British citizenship.”
(NZPD Vol 160 (1914 p. 661).
The Hon. Apirana Ngata
responded: “There is undoubtedly a demand and a desire on the part of the Maori people to stand shoulder to shoulder with their Pakeha fellow-subjects in the present war.” (p. 662) (cited in Carkeek, 2003, p. 12). In hindsight the debate as to whether or not Maori would be able to participate in the war is somewhat ironic. Eventually, the Government agreed that a Maori Contingent could be formed to do garrison duty only. In reality though, Maori fought and died at the side of their Pakeha comrades in Gallipoli and France. Nevertheless, “Maori had mixed views about the First World War. Some supported the war effort and rushed to join up. Others opposed the war as they did not want to fight for the British Crown, which was seen to have done much harm to Maori communities in the 19th century. The varied reactions reflected iwi experiences of British actions in the previous century. While more than 2000 Maori served in the Native Contingent and Pioneer Battalion (later the Maori Pioneer Battalion), others opposed the war effort. The application of conscription to Maori in 1917 brought the issue to a head. Those iwi who had land confiscated as a punishment for having been deemed to be in rebellion against the British Crown in the 1860s mounted a campaign of resistance. Leaders such as Te Puea Herangi gave important support to these men, some of whom were imprisoned for
refusing
to
serve”.
(http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/maori-in-first-world-
war/introduction).
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Members of the New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion taking a break from trench improvement work, France, WWI. The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion, largely made up of Maori troops, carried out important labour and construction tasks on the Belgian battlefields. Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton would have worked on trenches such as this, (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/maori-pioneers-take-a-break). He would also have taken part in the Haka.
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World War 1 Maori soldiers performing a haka in Egypt, 1 October 1915, http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/GLOBAL/OPHDR/18/857750,1
New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion members perform a haka for Cabinet minister Sir Joseph Ward at Bois-de-Warnimont, 30 June 1918. The haka introduced Maori custom and practice into the New Zealand armed services, and the use of these customs and practices grew during the conflicts of the 20th century, http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/maori-pioneer-battalion-haka 12
CAMPAIGN MEDALS The 1914-15 Star was awarded to servicemen and servicewomen who served between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915, provided they had not qualified for the 1914 Star. This included service at Gallipoli. The 1914-15 Star is a crowned four-pointed star with crossed swords and a wreath of oak leaves, with the royal cypher at the foot and a central scroll inscribed 1914-15. The 1914-15 Star is identical to the 1914 Star, except for the omission of AUG and NOV, and the scroll across the centre being inscribed 1914-15. The reverse of the 1914-15 Star is plain, except for the inscribed name and service details of the recipient. Throughout the British Empire more than 2.35 million 1914-15 Stars were awarded. Harold George Nepia Skelton’s military records note that he was awarded the 19141915 Star and that this medal was sent to his father George Nepia Skelton on 15 October 1917.
The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion Badge The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion badge as worn from February 1916 to September 1917. The original badge and the
final
badge
both
incorporated the motto Te Hoko Whitu a Tu (The twice seventy
(140)
warriors
of
Tumatauenga, God of War).
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Whakapapa Harold George Nepia Skelton (known as Tony) was born on 7 April 1896 in New Plymouth, Taranaki. His father was George Nepia (Napier) Skelton (known as Tim), son of Sergeant George Augustus Skelton and Te Piki Ngatata (also known as Mary Ann Cooke). His mother was Mihi Olivia Rahira, daughter of Pomipi and Rahira Te Paoro. Both of his matua were of Te Atiawa iwi and Ngati Rahiri Hapu descent. Tony’s mother, Mihi Olivia Rahira died in January 1909 soon after giving birth to Tony’s youngest brother, Gerald Rewarewa (Tom) Skelton, who was born on 26 December 1908. In September 1909 Tony’s father, remarried. His second wife was Tangiora Rona, daughter of Rona Minapara and Maraina Hapurona Te Tata. There were no children from his father’s second marriage. There were seven tamariki in Tony’s whanau: 1. Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton, born 7 April 1896, died 8 August 1917 (aged 21) 2. George Daniel Skelton, born 26 July 1897, died 8 June 1980 (aged 82) 3. Gertrude Augusta Rahira (Gus) Skelton, born 24 May 1899, died 26 May 1982 (aged 83) 4. William Henry (Bill) Skelton, born 2 November 1900, died 17 July 1977 (aged 76) 5. Leslie Robert (Mick) Skelton, born 29 December 1902, died 20 November 1980 (aged 78) 6. Grace Nora Skelton, born 13 August 1904, died 28 September 1973, (aged 69) 7. Gerald Rewarewa (Tom) Skelton, born 26 December 1908, died 20 April 1955 (aged 47)
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Leslie Robert (Mick) Skelton, younger brother of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great Grandfather of Carabelle Tangiora Connor The photo is not dated but was probably taken in the 1940s when Poppa was in his forties.
� George Nepia (Napier) (Tim) Skelton, Father of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great, Great Grandfather of Carabelle Tangiora Connor George Nepia (Tim) Skelton is aged about 26 years in this photo which was taken around 1898.
Tangiora Rona Skelton (no date)
→
Stepmother of Harold George Nepia Skelton and Great, Great Step-grandmother of Carabelle Tangiora Connor
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George Augustus Skelton (aged 73) and Te Piki Ngatata (Mary Anne Cooke) (aged 67), about 1910, grandparents of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great, Great, Great Grand-parents of Carabelle Tangiora Connor
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Ngapei Ngatata, aged about 77 (1888) (Artist unknown, Now owned by the Taranaki Museum, New Plymouth, catalogue number A66.149)
Great Grandmother of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother of Carabelle Tangiora Connor Ngapei Ngatata (born circa 1811), was the fifth child of Ngatata-i-te-Rangi (also known as Makoare Ngatata). with Whetowheto of Ngati Ruanui. Born around 1790, Ngatata-ite-Rangi was the son of Te Rangiwhetiki and Pakanga. Through his mother, Pakanga, he was an influential rangatira (chief) in the Ngati Te Whiti hapu of Te Atiawa. He was a signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi and signed the Henry Williams copy on 29 April 1840, aboard the schooner, Ariel, at Port Nicholson, Wellington (Orange, 1990, p. 148).
The tohu (mark) of Ngatata-i-te-Rangi (Great, Great Grandfather of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather of Carabelle Tangiora Connor) on the Henry Williams version of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Captain John George Cooke Portrait taken by Sir Anthony Coningham Sterling, early 1850s, National Portrait Gallery, London. Great Grandfather of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton and Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather of Carabelle Tangiora Connor John George Cooke (born circa 1816) was the son of Christopher Cooke and Elizabeth Austen (who was related to the great English novelist, Jane Austen, through her father, Francis Motley Austen). He came to New Zealand in March 1841 aboard the ‘Amelia Thompson’ and returned to England in 1850. He had two children with Ngapei Ngatata, Te Piki Ngatata (Mary Ann Cooke) and George Gray Cooke who died at 19 years. John George Cooke had many literary friends including the 19th century novelist, Geraldine Jewsbury and Thomas Carlyle and his wife Jane Welsh Carlyle. Geraldine records visiting him and his wife, Margaret (Townsend Ward) and hearing him singing lullabies in te reo Māori to their first born, Harriet Marcia Cooke (born 20 March 1869).
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Growing up in Taranaki Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton was born in the province of Taranaki on the West Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Mount Taranaki dominates the region of Taranaki and Tony would have grown up under its commanding presence.
Mount Taranaki (2,518m) When Harold George Nepia Skelton was born on the 7th of April 1896 in Taranaki, Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 - 10 June 1906), sometimes known as King Dick, was the Prime Minister of New Zealand and David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow, (31 May 1833 – 13 December 1915) was the Governor General of New Zealand. Queen Victoria was into the 59th year of her 64 years long reign and Russia was preparing for the coronation of their last Tsar, Nicholas II. Europe was holding the first modern Summer Olympics, between 6 April and 15 April 1896, in Athens, Greece. These were the first Games since Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Ancient Olympic Games in AD 393 as part of the Christian Campaign against paganism. Women in New Zealand had been granted the vote three years before, in 1893, and in Taranaki dairy factories were beginning to sprout up all over the province and dairy farming became the province’s main industry. Tony’s whanau had a small dairy farm of 55 acres at Motunui, a small settlement in North Taranaki and the family survived on home grown produce, fresh milk and cream (the cows at this time were milked by hand) and kai moana such as pipi, mussels, paua and fish from the near-by Turangi Road beach.
In those days there
was no electricity at the farm. Cooking was done on a coal range and lighting was provided by candles and oil lamps.
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Tony and his siblings attended Motunui School which was founded in 1894. Tony was one of the first pupils of the first decade (1894 to 1904) who attended the School. The nearest high schools were in New Plymouth; New Plymouth Boys’ High (founded in 1882) and New Plymouth Girls’ High (founded in 1885). However, Tony and the older siblings did not go on to secondary school. On leaving School, at age 14,
Tony most likely worked with his father on the farm and possibly gained
employment at the Borthwicks freezing works in near-by Waitara. The freezing works was established in 1872 and until its closure in 1995 was the largest employer in Waitara, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitara,_New_Zealand).
On enlistment his
occupation is noted as ‘engine driver’ at Johnston Brothers, Waitara. In 1922, five years after Tony’s death, his father, George Nepia (Tim) Skelton donated a section of land to build a Memorial Hall next to Motunui School and £200.00 was raised for a Memorial tablet. The tablet was unveiled in December 1923. The names on the tablet were: Lieut. Mema Wikanu, Pvt. John T Graham, Pvt Percy A Rock and Sgt. Harold G. N. Skelton.
Concluding Reflections My Great Grand Uncle, Sergeant Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton died far too young in a land a long way away from his papakainga, his turangawaewae, his HOME! He never got to marry, to be a father or a grandfather. His New Zealand Defence Force personnel records include a copy of a short Will, signed 2 October 1915, in which he bequeathed all his money to Miss I Adlam and his lands to be equally divided between his brothers and sisters.
Miss I Adlam in all
likelihood was Isabella. She is listed as a pupil, along with Harold Skelton, in the Motunui School Roll, second decade, 1905-1914.
Apparently, the two school
friends became romantically linked but while Harold George Nepia (Tony) was away 19
at war she formed another attachment.
Shortly, after he heard the news, he was
wounded and taken to the field hospital where he died. Hopefully, there was a kind nurse to hold his hand and say a karakia for him as he took his last breaths, or perhaps his brother George was with him in his final hours, but we can never know. What we do know is that war is cruel and vicious and WWI in particular was an utterly brutal and ultimately, futile sacrifice of thousands of young men, one of whom was a young Māori man from the little settlement of Motunui in Taranaki, Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton. Kia tau te rangimarie – May Peace be with You!
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.2
2
From Laurence Binyon's (10 August 1869 – 10 March 1943) poem, ‘For the Fallen’. For a reading of the poem in the context of ANZAC Day go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUqaiRNOMqs&feature=related
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REFENCES Archives New Zealand, New Zealand Defence Force Personnel Records, Archives Reference AABK 18805W55530105409, Harold George Nepia Skelton (2010). Retrieved May 21, 2010, from http://archway.archives.govt.nz. Auckland Museum (n.d.) Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/14501.detail Bell Block War Memorial, (2008). Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/taranaki_war_memorials/topics/show/ 30-bell-block-war-memorial Carkeek, Rikihana. (2003). Home, Little Maori, Home: A Memoir of the Maori Contingent 1914-1916. Wellington: TĹ?tika Publications. Commonwealth War graves Commission, (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=2000052&mode=1 Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. A History of the New Zealand native contingent and pioneer battalion. Gillipoli, 1915, France and Flanders, 1916-1918. Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs Limited King, Michael, (2003). New Zealanders at War. Auckland: Penguin. Maori and the First World War (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/maori-in-first-world-war/introduction Maori Pioneers performing the haka (n.d.) Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/maori-pioneer-battalion-haka Maori Pioneers performing the haka (n.d.) Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/GLOBAL/OPHDR/18/857750,1 Maori Pioneers in Trench (n.d.) Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/maori-pioneers-take-a-break Motunui School Jubilee Committee. (1964). Motunui (Waihi) School Jubilee 1894 – 1964 booklet. Waitara: P Winter and C Wells. Luxton, Thelma (Editor). (1994). Motunui School and District Centennial 1894-1994. Waitara. New Zealand and World War One, Roll Of Honour 1917 July - 11 October. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sooty/nzefroh1917jul-oct11.html New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion Roll of Honour. (2005). Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://whakapapa.maori.org.nz/list_read.asp?item=18.
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Orange, C. (1990). An illustrated history of the Treaty of Waitangi. Wellington: Allen and Unwin. Pugsley, C. (1995). Te Hokowhitu a Tu: The Maori Pioneer Battalion in the First World War. Auckland: Reed. Skelton, H G N (1917). Casualty Form – Active Service. Archives Reference: AABK 519 (Box 77 She-Ski). Troop Ships (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2010 from (http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/general/SearchResults.aspx?dataset= TroopShips&SearchID=8172979 Waitara. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitara,_New_Zealand Oral Sources Bruce, (nee Skelton), Pamela Marie Mereaina, daughter of Leslie Robert (Mick) Skelton and niece of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton. Interviewed via telephone, 5 April 2010. Taylor, Kura Marie, daughter of Grace Nora Taylor (nee Skelton) and niece of Harold George Nepia (Tony) Skelton. Interviewed via telephone, 2 May 2010.
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